Back in 1981-82, I “volunteered” for the Dale Carnegie Management Motivation concern out of Detroit (‘volunteered’ cuz I was desperately trying to bolster my private school teacher’s salary [and to avoid working 2 other jobs; in addition to teaching] – so, I was hoping that this was my shot at 6 figures [wrong!]). Anyway, we had the lucrative Chrysler contract – and were part of the attempt to bring Chrysler out of bankruptcy (I gathered that Lee I-a-chocolate had contracted with the DCMM concern).
Anyways, I didn’t make a dime – but I did learn an invaluable-lesson-or-two about the American work place…Andy Warhol suggested that we would all have our 15-minutes-in-the-sun – and, judging from what I saw at Chrysler – and in the American workplace these past 34-years-or-so – most Americans grab their 15-minutes-in-the-sun; and then… rest on this laurel for the rest-of-the-their working, and retired, lives.
Dr. Greg Jackson, a very cool prof at Cal State University (where I also teach), suggests that most-of-the-world uses their job to define who they are and how they wish to live. It seems to be a peculiarly American conceit that we seek to define ourselves by the job we do – so we, as Americans, like to think we are imbued with the dynamics connected to the professional titles of the roles we occupy. We’ve even taken this dynamic a step further in the good ol’ U.S. of A.: we actually believe that a large income makes a human being competent. Never mind the ruthlessness it takes to step atop the Common Man en route to those dollars. In what twisted universe do dollars translate into competence?! Throw some dollars at it…that should solve the problem…
So Chrysler went down the toilet – much like our economy is going down the toilet now – because…there are simply too many people occupying positions that they truly don’t have the skills to fill. Most Americans (who don’t get into their jobs by pimpin’ or whorin’); rest on that single laurel, that single 15-minutes-in-the-sun that forever defined them! And that’s it! That’s all you gotta do in the U.S. Real or imagined; drug-induced or sober – all U gotta have is 15-minutes of stardom.
Once you got it — do you have to improve yourself? Do you ever have to have a creative thought again? Or, do you remain in the half-baked delusion that there is a point in time – a moment where everything makes sense (that 15 ‘minutes), and function from that place forever? Do you crystallize, or, stay fluid and become a life-long learner? I’d say the former – and drugs, alcohol and American Idol use — preserve that sun-baked notion that they you’ve got the world figured out and that you know what yer doin’.
I would like to the think that the DCMM helped Chrysler out-of-Its-funk and put Chrysler back on Its economic feet (Chrysler not only turned a profit not long after declaring bankruptcy – but they repaid the loan, with interest, to the Feds!). I also remember an exercise we used to do with Chrysler employees that entailed smacking a rolled-up newspaper on the table and yelling at the top of One’s lungs: “I can’t stand people who can’t do their job!” Which had actually been the case at Chrysler – and is now the case with everything from politics on down the economic food chain – too many people who simply can’t do their jobs (Dubya takin’ the cake!). Too many people livin’ on that one idyllic moment…too few committed to going out to earn their stripes everyday – like a good teacher does.
And the next time some half-baked (or all-baked) principal comes to me to tell me how to do my job after 30-years-of-doing-it; I will simply have to tear him (or her) — a brand new orifice. Because I am really sick of the opinions of people who can’t do their jobs – and, want me to sink along with them. I swim well, always have, and, the first rule of life-guarding is: Never, ever, make physical contact with a drowning person. Hitch your wagon to yourself for Chrissake!